Final Thoughts..

I wanted to finish this blog with a few final thoughts about my experience within the two-spirit community and with information on what you can do as a reader to support this group.

Jaxin Enemy-Hunter and Travis Goldtooth at 2010
Two-Sprit Gathering in Montana

I have had a unique experience as mixed raced (White and Cree Native America) queer man. Although I do relate with my Cree roots being that my grandfather was raised on the res. and shared the culture of our family with us extensively before his death, I have always passed as a white male. This has always been an internal tension for me. One dealing with the privilege I have over others in my family because of my skin color, two having to constantly prove how "native" I am, and three dealing with the intersectionality of my race, gender identity, and sexuality. I have been afforded some really great opportunities because of my privilege such as being coded as just white and getting to have honest conversations with other white identified folks about privilege, prejudice, and Native American culture. There have also been many frustrations, when folks find out that I am native it also followed with the question how much as if I can cut off a chunk of my body and would no longer have my native culture. I have also had to deal with the struggle from both with white community and my Cree community of not fitting into the gender binary they are comfortable with.

These identity intersections make me who I am and over time I have learned there is nothing wrong with them. I am proud to be a White, Cree, Gay, Able bodied, Student Activist, Man. It is important that as a society we learn to embrace every piece of every person's identity.

We'wha, Chrystos, Fred Martinez
The faces of the Two-Spirt people across history

       

This leads me to my call for action for you. I hope that this blog allows you to open your eyes to the Two Spirit community and gives you the tools and confidence necessary to facilitate conversations with others about this marginalized group. More than that though, I hope this can open everyone's eyes to the need for acceptance of all identities. In our society you truly can not judge a book by its cover. We all have different experiences and a vast number of identities that should all be honored. Lowering one does not help any other.

I hope after reading this blog you are inspired to learn more about other identities beyond just Native Americans and Two Spirit folks to gain a better understanding of the intersectionalities that make this world what it is. If we can learn anything from the experiences of We'wha, Fred Martinez, Chrystos, myself and the thousands of others who identify as Two Spirit is that we all must learn to coexist with one and another if wish for equity for anyone.